


Father Trap

by gallaFICh (xiuchen_though)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Divorce, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Parent Trap AU, Rich Ian, Rich Mickey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-08-22 20:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8300690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiuchen_though/pseuds/gallaFICh
Summary: Parent Trap!AU You know the ordeal, two girls exactly alike meet and realise their looks are no coincidence.Going to be similar to the concept of the original story, but with some twists, because this is Gallavich.





	1. Twins

**Author's Note:**

> I literally just wrote this, totally unbeta'd, the idea struck me and I had to write it.  
> I don't think it's going to be a very long fic, i think I know where I want this to go, but inspiration will tell, as usual.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It was the happiest day of their lives. They laughed, they kissed, then even danced, something Ian thought Mickey wouldn’t do. But it was their wedding, and they were happy, they didn’t care.

Mickey was the love of his life, Ian knew that.

Ian was the love of his life, Mickey knew that.

And they were happy.

**

They wanted a baby. They had been married for eight months, and they were the happiest, but there was no need to only be the two of them anymore. They had already dated for long enough. Being a married couple is not exactly being a complete family, and they wanted the upgrade.

They asked both Mandy and Debbie for eggs, to enhance the chances, since they were the female versions of Mickey and Ian. The sisters went on board with idea, agreeing to never know which had success at being fertilized. Neither Ian nor Mickey knew that, they didn’t want anything to take away the feeling that the future baby would be theirs and only theirs.

As soon as a they found the perfect surrogate, a lovely Russian woman named Svetlana, the procedure was done, and when only one of the eggs got fertilized, as they had predicted, it was implanted.

Svetlana was pregnant. They were having a baby.

**

Ian picked up the phone.

“Hello Svetlana.”

“Hello orange husband. I had appointment today remember?”

“Yes, I remembered. But why are you calling, is something wrong?”

“No, but you and angry husband need to come to clinic.”

The phone call got Ian a bit worried, but he still calmly told his husband to dress and made his way to the clinic anyway.

 

 

They entered the room where Svetlana was waiting for them.

“Hello husbands. Doctor will talk to you soon.”

And as she said that, the doctor that had been following Lana’s pregnancy entered, smiling at the couple.

“I’m glad you could make it, Svetlana said you should also see this, she insisted on calling.”

“Seeing what?” Mickey impatiently asked.

“Wait a moment and you will understand.”

She put some gel in Lana’s stomach and started an ultrasound.

“You see that?”

“Not really.” Mick grumpily replied.

The doctor laughed. “Well, I figured. You see those two white circles there.” She pointed at the screen.

“Yes.” Ian agreed.

“Well, there should only be one of those. So if there’s two -”

“Twins?!” Ian interrupted.

The doctor smiled. “Exactly. You’re gonna have two children. Congratulations.”

Mickey turned to Ian. “We’re having fucking twins?!”

“Yes Mick, we are!” Ian’s smiled exploded. He grabbed his husband and hugged him fiercely, forcing the tears of happiness in. He failed.

Mickey was in shock to say the least. But in the good way. He loved his husband so much, and now they would have two munchkins running around, two halves of each other.

**

They were two girls. Their twins were female, and  identical. Ian and Mickey were going to have to copies to take care of.

"We should decide the names." Ian commented one day while massaging his husband's feet on the couch, watching a shitty program on TV.

"It gotta be right fucking now? We still got like two months to decide that."

"I know but just... Never mind."

"Spill it out Ian."

"I just had this idea today, and felt like telling you."

"What is it?"

"OK so like, there's gonna be two babies. I figured we could base each name on us."

"What you mean? I know you already got the name in the tip of our tongue."

Ian smiled. His husband really knew him. "Like, you're Mickey. Mick for me."

"Yeah."

"So, Kim. Like Mick, but backwards. I just haven't figured out something like my nam -"

"Nia." Mickey interrupted him.

"What?"

"Yes. The same letters as your name. Babies Nia and Kim."

"Nia... So you liked the idea?"

"It's fucking brilliant. Ian."

"Did we just decide the name of our daughters?"

"I guess we did."

Mickey got up and kissed his husband full on the mouth. Soon they were in the bedroom, celebrating their accomplishment the best way they knew.

**

On August 16th, the girls were born, in all their glory. They were so small, and loud, but their fathers were in love. And just like Mickey had wished, they were ginger. Ian’s most distinguishable feature, and they had got it. But apparently the eyes were Milkovich, bright blue. Ian and Mickey introduced them to a hoard of Gallaghers and one Mandy who immediately wheezed at the sight of the babies.

They were now really a family with Kim and Nia on their laps.

**

“FUCK YOU!” Mickey shouted.

“NO, FUCK YOU, I’M FUCKING TIRED OF THIS!”

The crying soon started coming from the girls’ room. They were six months now, and for the past two, the fights between their fathers had been more and more frequent.

“Look what you did.” Ian complained.

“Excuse me? What I did?! Yeah, right, because you were as quiet as a fucking vegetable.”

“Shut up Mickey! I’m tired of hearing you!”

“No, I am tired you hearing YOU. Always with that bullshit talk that you gave up your dreams for me and I don’t fucking appreciate you enough.”

“Well you don’t! I had felt that before the girls were born, but I thought it was just because you were nervous. But then you stayed like that. The girl are crying less in the night and you still don’t mind me! When was the last time we even had sex?!”

“Brilliant point Ian, like that’s not cause I’m fucking tired! We have two daughters Ian! Somebody had to do the big income jobs while you’re studying your nut cases in college!”

Ian was taken aback by that sentence. Even Mickey did a double take when he realized what he had said.

“You didn’t. What happened to the whole ‘Yeah Ian, it’s what you always wanted, go finish your psychology course’ talk?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s what you said. The only reason I’m still in college is because I put it behind so we could get a life together. I chose us over it, because you mattered more.”

“And what, you think I didn’t have dreams? Dreams that I also put behind because all I wanted was you?! And I still chose you completing yours now that we can, over me. Still what I get is comments like me not appreciating you enough!”

“So maybe you shouldn’t have.”

“Shouldn’t what, Ian?”

“Chose me over what you wanted.”

“And maybe neither should have you and this has all been a big mistake.”

“Maybe it has.”

_Oh._

**

“What the fuck Mick? You’re divorcing?!”

“Yes Mandy, it’s what you heard.”

“But you love Ian more than you love life!”

“Maybe I don’t. Maybe I’ve been so blind that I didn’t understand that what I gave up was better than this.”

“Shut up, that’s a lie. You love your family.”

“Mandy, what’s done is done. Ian isn’t happy with his like, so I’m not either. It’s over.”

**

“Divorce, Ian?!”

All the Gallaghers were staring at him in disbelief. Relationship goals ‘IanAndMickey’ were divorcing. What the fuck was the world.

“Yes. Things aren’t healthy anymore. And it’s not good for the girls. If Mickey isn’t happy with what we have, then neither am I, and we should split.”

“And what about the girls, what are you going to do?” Debbie asked as she patted them.

**

“HELL NO MICKEY! Are you fucking insane?”

“Mandy, it’s the best solution.”

“No Mickey, it’s not! What the fuck!”

“I can’t stand Ian, and he can’t stand me, so we split the family in half.”

“And what, you never see one of your daughters ever again?! They never see their twin sister ever?! Just because they look the same doesn’t mean they’re the same person Mickey!”

“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?”

Tears blossomed in his eyes. The last time Mickey Milkovich had cried had been when his daughters were born. Now he was crying again because he was about to lose one of them.

“DO YOU THINK IT’S MY WISH TO MISS THE LIFE OF ONE OF THEM?! I DON’T WANT THIS! IAN DOESN’T WANT THIS!”

“Then don’t do it!”

“Yes do it Mandy, because it’s the rational thing to do and we can’t think with our hearts right now, or I swear to go I’ll end up kidnapping them and running of to Timbuktu!”

“So what, one becomes a Gallagher, the other a Milkovich, never meet, and that’s it?”

“Yes.”

“This is a mistake Mickey.”

“It’s what has to be done.”

**

The bags were packed, the lights were out. They were both leaving the apartment. Neither of them could stay in what had once been the home of their family. So Ian was staying in the Gallagher house for a while, while Mickey would go over to Mandy’s.

All that was left was making the biggest of the decisions. To define the life of their daughters.

“Maybe we should flip a coin.” Mickey proposed.

Ian huffed. “The fate of our daughters and you wanna lay it out on a freaking coin?”

“You got any other suggestions?”

Ian didn’t answer. Unfortunately, Mickey was right. He exhaled. “Okay, let’s just fucking do this.”

**

Ian kissed Nia’s forehead as tears streamed down his face. This was probably the last time he would hold her.

In front of him, Mickey was in the same state, as he kept Kim close to his chest. “Bye, red skittle.”

They breathed in and out one last time, and put each baby on their stroller.

 

 

Mickey was the first one to cross the threshold. He looked behind. “Bye Kim.” He looked up. “Goodbye Ian.”

“Goodbye Mickey. And goodbye Nia.”

And the raven haired left.

 

 

Ian almost ran and called out for him. He wanted to say that this was a mistake. That they should stay together. That their girls shouldn’t be separated.

But he didn’t.

**

And so Nia Milkovich-Gallagher became just Nia Milkovich and Kim Milkovich-Gallagher became Kim Gallagher, with only one father to raise each other.

**

_Ten years and three months later_


	2. Nia arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldnt control myself and already wrote a new chapter.  
> Here is ten year old Nia.
> 
> hope you enjoy!

_Ten years and three months later_

“Welcome to Napa’s Summer Camp for Girls!” The voice of a female adult echoed, welcoming in all the girls that were arriving. They would all be staying here for the next five weeks.

Nia Milkovich exited the cab that stopped just outside of the complex, exhaling. “Welcome California.”

It was supposed for her to take the bus that was at the airport awaiting the girls who would come by plane, but her flight had been delayed for an hour, and it had been enough. By the time she arrived, the bus had left. At least she wasn’t the only one arriving in a cab or car.

She hadn’t known what to do in the beginning, but a quick phone call to her dad back in Chicago, and he had orientated her.

“Just take a cab, there are a fuck ton of those around, they won’t eat you. And if they do -”

“- I eat them first.” His daughter completed. Maybe her father shouldn’t swear or teach her those things. Maybe it was too late to think about that now.

She just did as he said and even managed to get the only cab around that was driven by a woman.

 

She approached the woman with grey hair that was on a small stool calling out to the girls.

“Hello miss.”

“Hi sweetie! I’m Martha. Did you just arrive?”

“Yes, and I don’t know where I should go.” She clutched her duffel bag, its weight was starting to sting on her shoulder.

“Of course. You just leave your bag over there with all the others, because first it’s lunchtime, and then you can all come get them will we assign you to your rooms.”

Nia smiled. “Alright. Thank you very much.”

“Of course. The canteen is over there. And also, your hair is very pretty.”

The girl blushed a little as she grasped the long strands. “Thank you.”

And she made her way to where the Miss had pointed, entering the canteen.

 

Not long after she entered, Miss Martha followed. After all, she had already arrived late. Nia was still taking it all in when she noticed the Miss putting herself between two counters, from where all sorts of girls were leaving with trays. “There must be where we get the food”, Nia figured, putting herself behind one of the lines, to get her own lunch.

 

She got all her food, and was about to grab her tray to leave for the tables when the Miss extended one arm with a package in her hand, asking “Do you want some olive breadsticks?”.

“Oh, thanks, but I’m allergic to olives.”

The Miss side glanced her briefly “Yes, I know, you just -” She frowned. “But you just -” She turned her head to the left, to the opposite counter, frowning again and returning her gaze to Nia. “Oh, never mind.” Miss Martha shrugged. “I’m seeing double now.”

The redhead smiled warmly at the lady before leaving with her tray. She didn’t understand one bit of what she had said. But she also didn’t care. Call it a Milkovich trait.

She saw an empty spot next to two brunettes and approached them. “Hey can I sit here?”

They smiled at her. “Of course”, one of them said.

“Hey, is that your natural hair colour?” the other questioned.

Nia once again blushed because of her flashy red hair. She knew there weren’t many gingers in the world, and she was proud to be one of them. “Yes, of course it is. I’m Nia by the way.”

“Hi Nia. I’m Heather and this is Lucy.”

 

Lunch was nice, but they all still had to get their bags and find their rooms.

As soon as all of them were outside, Miss Martha started.

“Alright ladies, the rooms are in that big cabin over there. Inside there’s a big common room where you all can hang out, and then corridors with doors to the small bedrooms that you will share with one other girl. Inside there’s a bunkbed and a closet for both your things. The rooms have already been assigned, so all you have to do is come to me to get your key.” She flashed one key to prove her point. “Also, there is curfew that must be respected. I want all of your girls inside those doors at 9pm, even if you can still hang out in the common room.” She turned the pages in her hands, checking if she had forgotten something. “Ah yes, mobile phones. This camp is free of those, so if you brought a cellphone with you, you must leave it here in this box,” she pointed to the big card box next to her feet. Groans were heard around her. “with a post-it attached to it with your name. Five weeks from now you can come get them. Now grab your bags and then come to me for your key.”

The bus drivers had put all of the bags of those who had come by bus on top of hers, so she had to wait for almost all the other girls to find their things until she had access to her own duffel bag.

She finally approached the Miss. “Hi again, I need my key. Nia Milkovich.”

“Milkovich? Let me see.” She looked through the notebook in her hand. As she did that, the redhead grabbed a pen and glued a note to her Sony, writing her name on it. Her dad had upgraded her phone so she could bring it in here and talk to him. Well, too bad. She left a quick text to him and to her aunt saying she wouldn’t have access to it during the summer camp and dropped it inside the card box.

“Ah, yes, Nia Milkovich, room thirty-two.” She took a key from the huge keyring (now a bit emptier) in her hand. “There you go. And it seems your roommate is already installed. You two go meet. Have a nice stay!”

Nia smiled back and left with her things. She entered the cabin, right into what she assumed was the common room Miss Martha had talked about.

There were couches, puffs, and tables with chair all around. Some shelves rested against the walls, with board games and worn out books on them. Nia would have to take a look at those eventually.

The place was already littered with girls, but she didn’t have time for that now. She had to go find her bedroom.

 

“Room thirty-two.” She whispered in front of the door with such number on it and opened it.

On her right was the bunkbed Miss Martha had mentioned. On her left, a corkboard and a small table with two chairs, for the two occupants to use. And in front of her was the closet, where a girl, with her back turned to her, was fiddling with her suitcase.

 _How cool_ , Nia thought to herself. Not many redheads in the world, and yet her roommate was one of them as well, even if her hair was shoulder length, instead of very long, like hers.

“Hey! You must be my roommate. I’m Nia!” The girl introduced herself cheerfully.

The girl started turning to her. “Hi! I’m Kim... Oh.”

_Oh._

_Oh indeed._

So what if she didn't have bangs, like Nia. It was still like staring in the mirror. In front of her was a girl that looked exactly like her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, next chapter is gonna be 'Kim arrives', so i think you know what it will be about, Im already working on it.  
> Im so pumped for this AU!
> 
> Also, i made this anime doodle on the internet of what the girls looked like on this first day, meeting. it was really just to orientate my head around how which of them looked like, but if you are interested in seeing it, i can post it here as well.
> 
> love you all, dftba!


	3. Kim arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Kim Gallagher!

Kim Gallagher exited the bus and looked excitedly around the greenish summer camp. This was where she would spend her next five weeks.

She lined herself with the other girls who had arrived on the bus and waited for the two ladies who had come to welcome them to start talking.

“Hello girls, and welcome to Napa’s Summer Camp! I hope you enjoy the next five weeks and, if you’ve never been to California, you will love it here! I’m Miss Martha, and on my left is Miss Brigitte. We will be your main guiders throughout the next weeks, so any problems you have, you come to us, and if you can’t find anyone, go to that blue cabin in the corner, someone will most likely be there.”

The girls nodded understanding.

“For now, it’s lunchtime, so Miss Brigitte will show you where the canteen is, so you all can start having lunch. Meanwhile all your bags will be left in that pile, where some already are, from the girls who came earlier. After lunch you will come here to get them and we will show you the dorms cabin and your rooms. But now it’s not time to be talking about rules, you are all probably hungry, so go off with Brigitte while I wait for the remaining girls. Have a nice lunch!”

A choir of “Thank you”s echoed from the girls as they followed the younger looking guider to a very large shed with huge window panels, that allowed you to see inside rows and rows of tables and two long counters further away.

The room started filling itself, but Kim drew herself to the side so she could ring her pops and tell him that she was safe and sound, already in sunny California.

She grabbed her iPhone, model 2, that she had gotten when her aunt Debbie bought the newest one and concluded that her old one would fit Kim, so she could have one in the summer camp. Her papa, who she was calling at the moment, hadn't opposed.

The other side picked up, a familiar voice echoing in her ear.

"Hey sweetie! Have you arrived?"

"Hi pops! Yes, I just got here!"

"That's great!” He sighted relieved on the other side, knowing that his ten-year-old daughter hadn’t killed herself during such a long trip. “So, what is it like?"

"Green." She shrugged. “Definitely not like New York.”

Her father huffed on the other side. "Well, what did you expect? That’s northern Cali for you.  And so, did you have a nice trip?"

"Yes, the ladies on the plane were nice and even got me a pillow so I could sleep comfortably. But the bus took really long to arrive."

"Well, but you're there now, so it doesn't matter."

It wasn't a coincidence that she had waited so long for the bus. Ian had purposely booked a flight one hour before the recommended hour. He didn't trust planes, and if hers decided to get delayed, his daughter could miss the bus, and he wasn't about to have that. A first class seat on the plane hadn't been just because either. If he could pay for those now, damn well he would do it for his baby.

"I know papa. I'm gonna go have lunch now, cuz I’m starving, alright?"

"Sure, don’t die with hunger! Off you go milady." Ian joked.

"Stop papa!"

"Okay I will. For now. Bye Kimmy!"

"Bye bye!"

She was going to miss her papa.

 

Kim took some time to go to the bathroom and then finally went to one of the lines and grabbed a tray to gather her lunch. She noticed that in the time she had spent, Miss Martha had already walked in, as she was standing at the meeting point (and also ending) of the two lines, handling something to the passing girls. Eventually it was her turn.

“Hello, do you want some olives breadsticks?”

 _Oh, what a shame_. Kim was allergic to olives, so that was a big no. “I’m sorry Miss, but I’m allergic to olives.”

“Oh, well then, It’s alright, we all have our allergies. Have a nice lunch!” And she turned to the line opposite to hers. Kim didn’t pay more attention to it and sat on the first spot she could find. She was really hungry after all.

 

Lunch passed uneventfully. She got the chance to meet three girls, who she learned had already been here the last year, and they promised her she would have a lot of fun. She followed them as everybody headed outside to listen to Miss Martha again and they positioned themselves on the left on the semi-circle that had formed.

“Alright ladies, the rooms are in that big cabin over there. Inside there’s a big common room where you all can hang out, and then corridors with doors to the small bedrooms that you will share with one other girl. Inside there’s a bunkbed and a closet for both your things. The rooms have already been assigned, so all you have to do is come to me to get your key.”

“Also, there is curfew that must be respected. I want all of your girls inside those doors at 9pm, even if you can still hang out in the common room.” She turned the pages in her hands. “Ah yes, mobile phones. This camp is free of those, so if you brought a cellphone with you, you must leave it here in this box,” she pointed to some box at her feet as people groaned, including Kim. She had promised pops she would call every day. “with a post-it attached to it with your name. Five weeks from now you can come get them. Now grab your bags and then come to me for your key.”

Kim managed to be one of the firsts to gather her suitcase, as it was thankfully one from the top of the pyramid.          Meanwhile she took her phone and texted pops that cellphones weren’t allowed in the camp, so if he wanted information he should call the Misses. She ended the message with a _bye, see you in five weeks_ that, little did she know, crushed Ian to see. Five weeks without his baby girl.

 

She put her mobile on the box and looked up at miss Martha.

“Hello Miss Martha!”

“Hello dear. Is this your first year?”

“Sure is. I’m Kim Gallagher.”

“Kim Gallagher? Exactly, here you are. Room thirty-two. It seems your roommate has yet to pick up her key, so you go ahead, and she will surely join you soon. Have fun!” She handed the girl her key.

“Thank you! I hope we get on well!”

“I’m sure you will.”

 

Kim looked around the common room and smiled. She was gonna have so much fun here! But for now she had to unpack, so she gathered her things and started looking around for the door 32.

When she finally managed to enter what would become her bedroom for the next month or so, she took in her surroundings.

On her right was the bunkbed. She hoped she could get the bottom one. People her age were usually fonder of top bunkbeds, but from her perspective, it took too much work to be climbing up and down that terrible ladder when there’s an equally fine bed on ground level. He pops always mumbled “this is just like your dad” whenever she offered him theories like this. She wished she knew what that was like.

On her left there was a desk for two people. She prayed that her roommate enjoyed playing UNO as much as she did, so they could steal it from the common room and perhaps play it right on that table.

And lastly, in front of her stood the closet, with two big doors, probably one for each person. _Jackpot_ , she thought. She could start unpacking, so she wouldn’t have to mind that again for the rest of the days. The plan for those was to have fun and nothing more.

 

She was starting to get things out of the suitcase when she heard the door opening behind herself.

“Hey!” A female voice echoed. “You must be my roommate. I’m Nia!”

Kim started turning around slowly, in order to face the new arrival. “Hi! I’m Kim... Oh.” She stopped in the middle of her movement, frozen.

_What the hell?_

Was she seeing right?

The girl in front of her stood still as well, so Kim took her time embracing her features. The green shirt she was wearing. A pink duffel bag on her shoulder. But the rest…

Her hair was waist length, far longer than Kim’s, and she wore bangs. But it was very much red, like hers.

And her eyes were blue, like her.

And she also had freckles.

And she also… Well, there were no doubts.

Despite the haircut, the girl in front of her, Nia, was the spitting image of Kim herself.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter and the past one were pretty much just introductions. Now the real story will start, as the girls spend time with each other :DD
> 
> also, here's the pic that i had previously mentioned, of how the girls roughly looked like on that day. As i've said before, i made this really for myself, so i could describe without mistakes their differences and resemblances. so these are really just internet made doodles. i guess you could use lindsay lohan herself as a model for the girl's aspect, since she's coincidentally a blue eyed redhead (because the girls' description come from the features of Gallavich).
> 
> http://tinypic.com/r/2dso8ch/9  
> (on the left is Kim and on the right Nia)
> 
> lots of love, thanks for reading this!


	4. I don't have a mom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter four!  
> I hope the title hints at something ;)
> 
> Also note:  
> something written between +++++++ is a flashback to mickey and ian before the girls were born that relates directly to the scene happening between the twins at the moment. more of those will appear in the next chapters as the girls unveil each other and their past.

A pin would have been heard dropping in that small bedroom. Both girls knew the other was thinking exactly the same as them. _This girl looks exactly like me._

“I’m sorry, who are you again?” One of them asked.

“My name’s Kim. Kim Gallagher.” The girl replied as nervously to the question that had been asked.

“So… No Milkovich right?”

“No what?”

“Milkovich. That’s me. Nia Milkovich.”

“Hmm… I’m afraid not.”

They stared at each other once again, equally designed and quite expressive eyebrows furrowed. Nia would recognize the family trait.

Said girl was still at the entrance of the room, having not moved an inch. She clutched her duffel bag’s slip, before grabbing the bag and putting it on the table at her right. “I’m sorry, I’ll just… This is just very strange, I’ll go… I’m going to the common room.” And she spun on her heels, darting out the door.

Kim still stood a few seconds dumbstruck on her place in front of the wardrobe before coming to her senses. “Hey, hey, don’t go!” She exited their room, grabbing Nia’s arm just outside, making her stop. “You don’t have to leave, you still gotta unpack.”

Nia still eyed her nervously.

“Maybe we’re just seeing things. Maybe we don’t look that much alike!” Kim happily offered.

The long haired girl’s stare went from one of confusion to one of disbelief. “You can’t mean that. I don’t think we’re seeing things.”

“Or maybe we are?”

Nia huffed. She grabbed the other’s hand and drove them towards the common room. She approached the first girl they came across.

“Hey, sorry.” She stopped the girl with a hand to her chest. “Can you just tell us something?”

The girl nodded.

“Do we look that much alike?” Nia gestured between herself and Kim.

The girl eyed them strangely. “What do you mean…? You’re twin sisters right? Of course you do.” And she left, leaving the two redheads alone again.

Nia groaned. “Okay, that one didn’t count.”

Kim smiled at the angry look-alike. “Alright.”

“We’ll ask in the common room.” And Nia grabbed the other’s arm, directing them towards the other girls.

 

Nobody bothered them when they reached the common room, but Heather, the girl she had met in the canteen, approached them. “Nia! We lost you!” She then noticed the person at her side. “Oh, you didn’t tell us you were a twin! Why weren’t you together at lunch? And what’s your name?”

“We’re not sisters!” Both gingers said in a unison. “And I’m Kim.”, said girl completed.

Heather did a double take. “You’re not? You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“Nop. We just met.” Nia replied.

“She’s my roommate.” Kim completed.

“That’s so freaky!”

“Trust me, we know.” The Gallagher girl agreed.

“I gotta go find Lucy and tell her this. I’ll meet you in a moment.” And she darted off to find her friend.

Nia turned to Kim. “That’s Heather by the way. And maybe it’s true. We have some resemblances.”

“Some resemblances? No Nia.” She drove them towards one of the windows, where their reflection could be seen. “You look exactly like me! They do say you have seven doppelgangers in the world, but this is still wicked.”

“Seven what?”

“Doppelgangers. People that look exactly alike like you even if you’re not related.”

The other nodded. “Well, I guess that’s us.” She smiled. “Lets just try to be friends, yeah? We gotta share a room for a month.”

“Seems doable. And you look cool.” Kim smiled back.

Nia huffed. “You’re just saying that because I look like you.”

“Maybe. Or maybe not.”

The girls laughed together. Maybe meeting someone with you face wasn’t so bad.

**

Miss Martha entered the common room around two hours later to see if all the girls were settled, and enjoying themselves. Miss Brigitte followed right behind.

“Hello again, I hope all of you have found your rooms. Today there will be no activities so you can stay here or go outside and just enjoy yourselves. Just remember that curfew is at 9pm. Have you all met your roommates?”

A “yes” echoed from the girls perched on sofas and chairs or sitting on the floor. However, from a bit afar, somebody was a bit more courageous.

“Did you put those two together on purpose?” The girl pointed to the two redheads in front of her. She had no malicious intent, she was just genuinely curious if the Misses knew something they didn’t. Nia and Kim could only thank her actually.

Miss Martha turned to where she was pointing. “Who do you -” She frowned. She had met too many new girls today to remember the name of those two, but she was pretty sure they didn’t have any pairs of twins this year. She was used to checking that so she could place them in the same bedroom, therefore, SHE KNEW she hadn’t just overlooked that.

Maybe they were cousins. But the Miss knew cousins couldn’t look like mirrors of each other.

Brigitte gasped at her side. She as well was aware that no twins had signed up this year. “Wow. What were your names really?”

“I’m Kim Gallagher and this is -”

“Nia Milkovich.”

“Alright. And had you two ever met?”

“Not really.” Kim replied, as Nia shook her head on her side. “Until two hours ago at least.”

Nia continued. “I think we found our doppegl-, doble-”

“Doppelgangers.” Kim completed.

“That.”

“And you got assigned to the same dorm?” Miss Brigitte pried further.

“Yup.”

Martha and Brigitte turned towards each other wide eyed. How had they even pulled that one off.

“Are you sure you don’t know each other?”

“I think we would know if we met someone who looked exactly like us.” Nia replied as Kim nodded in agreement.

“We believe you. It is just amazing as you can imagine.”

“Yes. We won’t bother you more with it. As long as you don’t get irritated with each other because of this.” Then Miss Martha turned to the other girls scattered around “And you all have a nice afternoon.”

“Thank you!” echoed around.

 

 

As they left the cabin, Martha turned to Brigitte. “How amazing right? They look so much alike. I had never seen two doppelgangers together, it’s amazing.”

Brigitte looked at her suspiciously. “No, there’s more to those than what it seems.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, if you look for that on the internet, you’ll see that doppelgangers, even if they are scarily similar, always have something that looks odd, that makes you understand that they aren’t really twins. For example, the height is usually very different, or one of the faces is larger than the other…”

“Where do you wanna go with that?”

“From what I saw those two girls had pretty much every feature in common. So or they are a truly amazing case of looking alike strangers, or there’s more to that story than what we know.”

“But I think it was clear they hadn’t met before.”

“That’s the thing.” Brigitte finished. “They don’t know it either.”

**

On week had gone by, and it had been one of the best in both lives. Kim and Nia had had loads of fun, the camp was amazing and they went to bed every night tired but satisfied. They were also finding a lot of comfort in each other’s presence, even if sometimes they strongly disagreed in things. They had spent hours playing UNO, as Kim discovered that Nia was a huge fan just like her, and Kim had started reading the worn out copy of Harry Potter that stood in the common room, as Nia had got flabbergasted when she realized the other had never read the best book saga ever and demanded she read it. Kim was obviously loving it.

The only thing both of them missed was the ability to contact their households, so they could tell their fathers the awesome story of the girl that looked exactly like them that they had met in camp.

The girls sat in the bottom bed of their dorm talking, after putting on their pyjamas. They both thought it was awesome that they wore the same size. Now they could even trade clothes!

Like Kim had hoped, Nia had asked for the upper bunkbed, saying it made her feel tall, and so they were settled.

“We haven’t talked much about our lives outside of here.” Nia stated. “Come on, I wanna get to know you better!”

“Well I’m nothing special. You start. Ask me something.”

“Your surname’s Gallagher right?”

“Indeed. Kim Deborah Gallagher.” The girl smiled.

“Sounds Irish.”

“Well, I am a redhead after all! The Deborah comes from my aunt Debbie.”

“That’s cool, my second name is my aunt’s as well! Nia Mandy Milkovich.”

“Well, I guess we have very important aunts!”

 

+++++++++++++++

_“Mick.”_

_“What?” the raven haired replied, as he stroked his husband’s hair. They were watching some shitty talent show on TV, Mickey seated, as Ian laid with his head on the other’s lap._

_“The babies are going to be Nia and Kim, right? That’s settled.”_

_Mickey hummed in agreement. That was the best decision they had probably ever made, and Mickey was not backing out on it. “What about it?”_

_“Well, they shouldn’t just have one name. I have two names. And so do you, Mickhailo Aleksander.”_

_“Shut up.” Mickey huffed. “Where you trying to go with that?”_

_“Nothing, I just think we should decide.”_

_“I know you. What are your suggestions?”_

_“Well…”_

_“Let me guess, our sisters’ names.”_

_“Yes. Wait what? How did you -”_

_“Ian we’re married. I know you. You’re as predictable as rain on a windy day.”_

_Ian tried to supress the smile that wanted to blossom on his face. “I hate you.”_

_“No you don’t. So what? Who gets which name?”_

_“Well, Nia is me right. And Kim derives from you.”_

_“_ De facto.”

_“So Kim needs a bit of Gallagher, and Nia needs the almighty Milkovich legacy.”_

_“Okay. That makes them Nia Mandy and Kim Debbie.”_

_“You do know her full name is Deborah right?”_

_“Alright, Kim Deborah.”_

_“Sounds weird.” Ian thoughtfully stated. “But it’s what it should be.”_

_“Kim Deborah Milkovich-Gallagher. Nia Mandy Milkovich-Gallagher.”_

_Ian stopped at that. “Wow. Mick are you sure? I’m totally fine in them getting your surname as the last. I love you.”_

_“I know you do, but let it be yours. I’m serious. Mine will always come with a reputation, and even if I don’t care, it is what it is. And I’m sure they’ll be gingers like your sorry ass, so they need the most Irish of surnames.”_

_Said redhead punched Mickey lightly on his shoulder. “You’re a dick. But at least you came on board with the idea.”_

_Mickey laughed. “For how long have you been thinking about this?”_

_“Yeah, I’m not telling you that.”_

+++++++++++++++

 

“So, what’s your aunt like?” Kim pried further.

“She’s awesome. She lives with us, me and my dad. She has black hair, and her eyes are blue. Well, like mine and dad’s! She also takes care of my hair.” Nia smiled. “Helps me decide my haircut and what shampoos I should use.”

“That sounds so cool! But did you always live with her?”

“Not exactly, she moved out for a while and lived with this boyfriend, but then they broke up so she came back to our house, like two years ago, which was great because with only my dad is no fun.”

“I feel you. It gets boring with my pops sometimes too. But what about your mom?”

Nia stopped at that. “Oh, I don’t have a mom. I got dad and aunt Mandy and that’s it.”

Kim felt embarrassed at that. She lowered her head ashamed. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. Nia’s parents had probably divorced, or maybe the mother had passed and now she was sticking her nose in something that wasn’t her business.

The other girl saw Kim’s blushing cheeks in embarrassment and realized what her reply had sounded like. “Oh no, you didn’t understand. I REALLY don’t have a mother. Never did.”

Kim lifted her head to listen.

“My dad’s gay! He used to be married to a man, and they had me, but then they got divorced and it was dad who kept me. I never really met my other father.”

 

 _What_.

Kim couldn’t be hearing right.

It was impossible.

But it explained everything.

Even if it was impossible.

Nia’s dad was gay? Like her papa?

Nia was looking worriedly at her, since her skin had probably gone a few shades lighter. She cleared her throat to speak. “You saying your dad’s gay.”

Nia smiled faintly. “Yeah, why? You think that’s weird?”

“No, definitely not.” She huffed. “It’s just that my pops’ is gay too, and he was the father who kept me when he and my dad got divorced.”

 _Oh_.


	5. Sister who

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it!

Nia looked at the short haired girl in front of her flabbergasted. What had Kim just said? She had a gay father who split from the other father?

“Nia…” Kim tried to bring the other girl back into reality.

“No. Just… Let me be with myself for some seconds.”

“Okay.” Kim stared apprehensively at this girl in front of her, who looked so much like her and whose story was so much like hers. They knew. They weren’t stupid. They knew what all this meant. But some things take time sinking in.

“So, is your father a redhead?” Nia inquired hesitantly.

“Yes. That’s where my hair comes from. Is your dad’s hair black?”

“Yes. How do you -”

“Photos.”

Nia nodded in agreement. “Right. Photos.” She considered how she didn’t have many of those herself. The she seemed to remember something. “In my house, I don’t have a lot of photos of me from when I was born. Like, they get more common when I get bigger, but there’s only like two of me and my dad when I was born on our living room, and one with aunt Mandy.”

Kim replied excitedly. “Yes, in my house is like that too, I can hardly find anything and every time I ask, my family just says they weren’t photographic people.” Then she seemed to remember something. “You say you have two photos of you and your dad when you were born. Were you using different clothes in each?”

Nia’s eyes widened. “Yes. Fuck.” She shouldn’t have sworn, but sue her. She always wondered why they would change her onesie in two photos that were taken on the same day and then place both pictures side by side. “Blue and pink right?”

Kim only stared back. Her look said more than any verbal answer.

“When’s your birthday?” Nia continued.

“I’ll be eleven by the end of summer vacation, on August -”

“16th?”

Kim sighted. “Exactly.”

For some seconds they just stood there, once again digesting everything.

“Kim.”

“Nia.”

“So if I have never met my redhead father, and you’ve never met your black haired father, and we’re both born on August 16th, then we’re probably sisters.”

“Sisters? Nia, we’re like twins!”

They faced each other dumbfounded for some long seconds. Slowly, a smile creeped on both of their faces, eyes shining.

Nia uncrossed her legs and scooted closer to the other. She put her arms around Kim, and the latter followed. With their heads on each other’s shoulders, they stood still, just hugging this person that had walked into their lives and rocked their world.

Nia felt something salty falling into her mouth. Oh, she was crying. How couldn’t she? Kim wasn’t so different on the other side.

The girls pulled apart and smiled at each other. Both had tears illuminating their faces.

 “Oh my god, this is so confusing.”

“I know. I have a sister!”

“But Kim…”

“Yes?”

“I think we need proof.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like a picture. Of my dad and yours.”

“Why, you don’t believe it?”

“I do! You look just like me! I just want to see if it’s really right.”

Kim sighted. “I get it. But I don’t have a lot of photos, you probably got more than me.”

“No, I only have one. And it’s because I found it hidden on my dad’s bedroom. They’re together smiling for the camera. It’s the only photo of my other father I have ever seen.”

“It’s like me! My aunt Debbie showed it to me, and it’s the only one my pops lets me see of them together. That’s why I know dad is black haired.” Then she remembered where she had it. “I took a shot of it for my phone! I can show it!”

“No way, I did that too! But our phones are away.”

“Well, let’s just ask the misses. They’re nice, they will help us.”

**

The girls were about to knock on the staff door when they started overhearing the conversation inside.

 

“We should talk to Nia Milkovich’s parents and Kim Gallagher’s too.”

“Why Brigitte? Because of their looks? You still think they look too much alike to be coincidence?”

“Maybe. I just think it wouldn’t hurt to inform their parents.”

 

Kim and Nia turned their heads to each other. No, that was not part of their plans right now, and couldn’t happen.

If before, they had mourned the fact that they didn’t have phones to tell their fathers about the girl they had just met, now they knew it would be too risky, and might get them drawn apart once again. So this news needed to stay as far as possible from their parental figures for now. The Misses couldn’t contact them in any sort of way.

The girls barged in screaming.

“NO!!” Both yelled. Soon after, they realized where they were and who they were talking to, and blushed equally.

 “Sorry.” Kim was the first to mumble.

“Yeah.”

“What is this girls? What kind of behaviour are you two engaging in? You should have knocked!”

“I’m sorry miss Martha, but we heard you talking about us, and we must ask you to not tell our fathers about our resemblance.” Kim politely asked in the most Ian-like way possible.

“And why might that be?”

“Because we want to tell them ourselves of course!” Nia concluded. “Like, when I get home, I wanna show my dad a picture of us and tell him all about my roommate at camp!”

“Yes! Please don’t take that away from us Misses.” Kim pleaded.

Martha looked so touched, the girls knew they had won. Even the more persistent Brigitte seemed to want to let go of the whole subject and just let the girls be.

“Alright girls,” the younger miss started. “we won’t think about this subject anymore, it wouldn’t be fair for you two. But you must explain why you were eavesdropping on that door.”

“No, no, we weren’t!” Nia exclaimed. “We came to ask you something.”

“Yes, we need to use our phones.”

“Your phones? I’m sorry, but you know it’s policy. We can’t allow that.” Miss Martha replied.

“Oh c’mon! Like, we just wanna take a picture of ourselves to show our fathers!”

Kim looked at her sister with her Milkovich eyebrows raised. Wow, Nia had no problem telling a small lie if it was for the better. So she would roll along with it. “Yes. A photo.”

“No, that is simply not -”

“Look Martha, the girls only asked for a photograph, I think it’s okay.” Brigitte intervened. She turned to the gingers. “As long as you don’t leave this office with your phones, and don’t comment on it outside, alright?”

The girls smiled.

“Yes, we really just want to do this.” Kim smiled.

“Thanks so much.”

 

Martha looked at her work partner. If Brigitte was okay with staying in to keep an eye on those two, she could go watch around the other girls in camp. “Well then, I’ll leave you two to Miss Brigitte. See you later girls.”

“See ya!”

 

Brigitte left to an adjacent room and returned with a familiar box. She placed in front of the girls.

“Look around for your phones, and be quick. You shouldn’t even be here. Meanwhile I’m gonna go to the bathroom, so suit yourselves.”

 

The girls thanked heaven for Miss Brigitte’s unruly bladder. They had some time to compare their fathers’ photos without raising suspicion.

When both finally managed to turn on their phones, they opened the snap each one had of their parents and then held the phone to their chests, staring apprehensively at the redhead in front of them.

“This is it right? After this, we’ll be twins.”

“Yes.” Kim breathed heavily.

“Alright, let’s do this. One, -”

“Two, -”

“Three!”

They both turned their phones at the same time, showing the person in front of them the picture they had taken. A picture the opposite person knew all too well.

After all, it was the exact same photograph.

Ian stood behind, smiling widely at the camera. Slightly in front of him stood Mickey, not with a toothy smile like the redhead, but clearly trying to supress a grin. After all, Mickey didn’t smile for photos. Ian’s hair was dishevelled, illuminated but the sun outside, where they stood. Mickey’s hair was gelled back, as he usually wore it, clouded a little by Ian’s shadow. The photo went until the men’s shoulders, and on Mickey’s stood Ian’s hand grabbing Mickey’s. On each hand stood an equally beautiful silver bang, symbol of their love. They seemed younger than what the girls knew them, and happier.

Just like before, tears welled up in their eyes.

“That’s them.”

“I know.”

 

+++++++++++++

_“Why the fuck do I even let you take me outside?”_

_“Shut up Mickey, you love going to the pizza place. Don’t lie.”_

_“I don’t. I love pizza brought to our house.”_

_“Well, too bad, it’s my day off, we’re having lunch out.”_

_“We should spend your day off fucking, not eating at a fucking restaurant.”_

_“Gross.” A third voice added._

_“If you’re up for a threesome with my sister, it can be arranged. But I think we would just traumatize Debbie.”_

_“Definitely. Please just stop talking you two.” Said woman pleaded._

_“I talk my husband as I fucking want to.”_

_“Yes Mickey, we all know you married Ian’s ass and he’s all yours, but your sex life doesn’t interest me at all, and you two are not allowed to ditch me today.”_

_Ian just smiled warmly at the two people next to him. He loved his family, and now Mickey was part of it._

_“Leave Debs alone, Mick.”_

_Lunch did leave Mickey less grumpy, as usual, and so when they went for a small walk after, he was even smiling._

_And he had reasons to be. Just days prior, Svetlana had confirmed that the implantation of the egg had gone successfully, she was pregnant with Ian and Mickey’s child, he was married to the person he loved the most in the world, as sappy as that sounded, and he had finally found a decent job as an assistant mechanic. Life was pretty good._

_So when Debbie said “You two look so cute together. I gotta take a picture of this.”, he didn’t even oppose._

_“As you fucking wish.”_

_Even Ian’s eyes widened at his husband’s nonchalance. But he wasn’t going to pass the opportunity. He positioned himself behind Mickey and grabbed him by the waist. He placed his left hand on Mick’s left shoulder and smiled. Said smile widened largely when he felt his partner’s own left hand meet his at the shoulder. Damn he loved this man._

_Debbie snapped the picture of the two of them and smiled widely at her camera. They looked terribly cute. She was going to frame this one and offer them._

_**_

_Ian looked at his copy of the photograph, now almost two years later, and sighted sadly. When his sister had offered him and Mickey two copies of the same photo, one framed and another in case the first one got damaged, he never thought he would ever seem them being separated._

_But here he was now, putting the framed one in his suitcase, as he packed to leave for the Gallagher house. They had already signed the two-week-notice to leave the apartment, and Mickey had left around two days ago. To where, Ian didn’t know, and it was better that way. After all, the raven haired had with him the daughter Ian would probably not see again. He and Kim would be staying in the Gallagher house until deciding where to go next. It was complicated._

_After not finding the stashed copy of the picture, he figured his soon-to-be ex-husband had taken it with him, and left the framed one behind. Ian thanked him for that. He wasn’t throwing this out. Not ever. He still loved the man on the photo, and would probably love forever, even if things hadn’t turned out as they had planned. So if he couldn’t even show Kim who her dad had been, for her own protection, then he would just keep the photo to himself, so he could once in a while remember what could have been._

_He placed the frame carefully inside the bag as a lonely tear fell down his face._

_**_

_Mickey had taken the photo with him with no regrets. As he installed himself in the new tiny as fuck apartment with Nia, he tried not to think about the family he had just left behind. He stashed the photo in his chest of drawers and exhaled, trying to supress the unwelcomed tears._

 

+++++++++++++

The girls lunged forward and hugged fiercely.

“You’re my sister!” Nia sniffed.

“I know.”

They broke apart, only to hug each other once again.

“I have a twin sister. Oh my god Nia!”

“Yes. But we can’t tell them.”

“I know. He gotta figured this out first.”

 

Meanwhile, the door opened behind them, Miss Brigitte walking in.

“Hey girls.” Then she stared intently. “Oh, why are you crying?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Nia dismissed her.

“Yes, we were just taking our photo right Nia?”

“Exactly.”

They positioned themselves together and held each phone, on selfie mode.

They smiled for the cameras and snapped the picture, looking appreciatively at the result.

Then they turned to the Miss.

“Thank you very much for the chance miss Brigitte.” Kim smiled at the woman.

“Yes, it was sweet.”

They turned off their phones and placed them back on the box, leaving the office holding hands as a confused Brigitte stayed behind.

These girls left her too confused, but she was going to leave that subject behind. There were only so many other things she had to worry about in the camp.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now they know they're sisters!  
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter


	6. I wish I could meet my father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is getting out of my hands! this chapter is the longest so far, and it's not all of it, but it was getting so big i had to cut into two. I hope i can post the next one soon, since part of it is already written. but i think stopping here was a good decision.  
> anyway, enough rant, i hope you enjoy the chapter as much as i enjoyed writing it! i cant get tired of telling Nia and Kim's story!  
> thank you so much for reading this!

Nia and Kim laid down on the latter’s bed smiling at each other. They had been sleeping on the same bed for the past two nights, holding hands and exchanging stories, just relishing on the feeling of being sisters.

 “C’mon Kim, tell me more about dad.”

The girl smiled. “Not dad.”

“What?”

“He’s not DAD. He’s pops. Or papa. Just, not dad.”

“Why?”

“He just never let me call him dad. I tried it but he always says he’s papa, not dad. I think I get it now.”

Nia urged her newfound sister to continue.

“Like, he would always whisper ‘dad isn’t me’ and then I realized you call your father dad, Nia. So, they must dad and pops.”

Nia frowned, putting the pieces together, and then smiled widely. It sort of made sense. “Dad never let me call him papa when I was a baby either. Aunt Mandy always said I shouldn’t push it.”

“Well, maybe we should have.”

“Exactly.” They laughed.

 

+++++++++++++++

_“Mick there’s something we need to talk about.”_

_“What now.”_

_They had just arrived from an appointment with Svetlana, where the doctor had been late. They had been there pretty much the whole afternoon. Mickey was tired as balls and could only think of the pop corns he was microwaving and the movie he was planning on watching with his lawfully wedded husband. But apparently such man needed to talk._

_“We’re both men.”_

_Mickey laughed at Ian’s weird remark. “No shit Gallagher.”_

_Ian smiled. “Okay I get how stupid that sounded. But seriously.”_

_“What’s up your ass Ian?”_

_“You sometimes.” He smirked devilishly at his partner. “But that’s beyond the point. Have you thought about what the girls are going to call us?”_

_“Meaning?”_

_“Well, we can’t both be dad! It’ll get confusing. We gotta decide.”_

_Mickey bit his lip, his to-go expression when he was thinking. “I see what you’re getting at, but it’s not like there’s a fuckton of names for dad going around. Father is just presumptuous.”_

_Ian smiled. He expected no other remark from his husband. “Did you just say ‘presumptuous’? You’re ridiculous. And there is actually. We could be dada and papa.”_

_Mickey frowned. “You do realize the kids will stop calling us that by the time they’re six.”_

_“Well yes, but it can be shortened to dad and pops.”_

_“Dad and Pops?”_

_“Exactly. Totally different words, same meaning.”_

_“Dad and pops.” Mickey nodded to himself very faintly. It’s not like Ian couldn’t see him anyway, so the redhead knew he had gotten it right._

_“But we have to decide who gets which. I don’t mind anything, so it’s your call Mick.”_

_Said man stared at his redhead. The answer was in the tip of his tongue as his face turned more serious. “I wanna be dad, Ian.” He said it with such conviction, Ian knew he had just been assigned the pops role._

_“Ok. Done. Pops I’ll be.” They exchanged smiles. “But why?”_

_Mickey shrugged. “Obviously because I never had one. Because the thing I was taught to call that never deserve any fucking title besides monster. So if I get the chance to get called the dad and not fuck up at the job, I wanna do it.”_

_Ian stood flabbergasted. Moments like this, that Ian knew only he got to see, where Mickey would put his heart out and really say things without any metaphors, stood really close to his heart. His husband didn’t want to fuck up the dad job, and it was a beautiful feeling to have._

_The ginger smiled at the man in front of him. “I love you so much Mickey Milkovich. So much.” And he moved forward, embracing him tightly._

_“You’re just a sap Ian, don’t lie.”_

_“M’not lying. I do love you. And of course you’ll be dad. How could I ever take on that role after what you just said? I’ll be pops and I’m happy about, and you go be dad to Nia and Kim. The opposite mustn’t happen!”_

_Mickey laughed at Ian’s vehemence, but nodded anyway. “Yes. I’ll be the dada to your papa.” He replied mockingly._

_**_

_Ian opened the door to his house, having just arrived from his classes. Juggling a daughter to raise, a degree in the brink of finishing, and a job on the side to keep everything afloat wore him out every day, and only the sight of his daughter could lighten up his mood._

_“I’m home!” he greeted into the hall, hoping his four-year-old had heard him. Fiona had picked her up from kindergarten today and stayed in to take care of her, as Ian had needed to stay late in college to finish a project. The two females were probably in the younger’s bedroom fussing with her dolls._

_A pair of short frantic steps echoed from the corridor, as he had suspected, and then a buddle of red showed up and came towards him excitedly, hugging his leg._

_“Papa!”_

_Ian crouched down to level his eye with the ginger human in front of him. “Hey baby girl! Did you have fun with aunt Fiona?”_

_“Yes, auntie made us pancakes!”_

_“Pancakes? Oh no, auntie is better than me! Are you abandoning me Kimmy?”_

_The little girl laughed. “NO! I always like you more dad!”_

_Ian froze._

_Dad._

_No._

_That sounded wrong. He wasn’t dad._

_Maybe Mickey and him hadn’t been together or seen each other in almost four years, but they were still both the parents of two girls (a thought he had been learning to repress for the past time, even if sometimes it still hurt more than life itself) and had had an agreement over which role they represented to them. So even if all Ian had now was Kim, he wasn’t backing out on the deal. He was papa, not dada. That was her other father, and he couldn’t even see himself getting called that._

_Ian lowered his tone, speaking directly to his daughter, on her eye level. “Kim I’m not dad. I’m papa.”_

_“Yes.”_

_Ian smiled at the innocent ginger kid. She thought he was saying synonyms. Which maybe they were, but not for him. “No sweetie, I’m just papa. Or pops. Not dad.”_

_“But I can’t say you’re dad?”_

_“You can’t. Because that’s not me.”_

_“Just papa?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“But Rita calls her papa dad too!”_

_“I know baby, but that’s Rita. You shouldn’t call me dad. Can I be papa just for you?”_

_“Why?”_

_Explaining to her daughter that he was gay and therefore ‘dad’ was the other parenting figure in her life, at least according to paper, was still complicated for little Kim to understand, it required some more years, and therefore Ian needed to find some other explanation quickly.  “Look, what does Ericka call her father?”_

_“Uh? She says vater, but she’s germiny.”_

_Ian laughed once again at his silly child. Long articulated words like German still confused Kim. “We’ll, then you’re a Gallagher, so I’ll be papa just for you. Dad smells bad in my nose.” And he frowned to emphasize his feeling._

_Kim giggled. “Alright papa. No dada, dada smells weird!”_

_“Exactly!” Ian smiled at his baby girl and kissed the top of her forehead._

_No matter how south things had gone with Mickey, and a part of him still missed the raven haired, he wasn’t backing out on their promises towards their twins._

_Fiona stood at Kim’s bedroom door, hearing the father-daughter exchange. She, along with all Gallaghers and Mandy, always thought that Ian and Mickey had rushed in their decision of splitting up, and worst, splitting up the girls. It was moments like this that fuelled her feelings, seeing Ian so devoted to a man he hadn’t seen in years, but still stood in total possession of her brother’s heart._

+++++++++++++++

 

“And what does pops do?”

“He’s a psychologist. People talk to them and he helps them with their problems. He’s getting really famous.”

“What kind of problems?”

“Like when life’s really bad and people want to talk with someone who don’t know them.”

“Sounds like pops is an awesome person.”

“Yes, he’s great.” Kim smiled at her sister.

“You live in New York right?”

“Yes. Pops always said I was born in Chicago, but we moved there when I was really small, so I don’t remember. Then all of my uncles and aunts, I mean, OUR uncles and aunts came to New York as well.”

“So you all left Chicago together?”

“Not together. First it was just me and pops, then aunt Fiona came with uncle Liam, he was like our age, because papa said it would be better for him. And when aunt Debbie finished college she went to work there as well, and brought uncle Carl with her.”

“Damn, we have a lot of uncles and aunts!”

“I know.”

“Are those all?”

“No. we also have uncle Lip. But he’s like always travelling, so when he saw we were all in New York he bought a house there, but we don’t see him much.”

“Okay. I wish I could meet them all.” Nia sighted.

“And I wish I could meet aunt Mandy! But c’mon, now’s my turn. You still live in Chicago right?”

“Yes. We used to live in this part that was really poor, the Southside, but then dad started having more money and now we live in a small house but which is not in the bad part.” Nia smiled. She had been so proud of her father, even if she had been small back then.

“And what does he do?”

Nia frowned. “Well, I’m not sure anymore.”

Kim laughed. “How’s that possible?”

“I’m serious! Like, he used to be a mechanic, and then he bought his own shop. But he was always having problems with the money, I think that’s what it was, so he went to college for a while as well to learn and he got so good that now he has opened a lot more of shops, and he’s a success.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Aunt Mandy says that he not only fixes peoples cars, he teaches them how to fix the smaller problems, so he is a success and mechanics love working with him because he doesn’t care where they came from as long as they are honest and do their job.”

“Dad sounds cool.”

“He’s just dad. It’s how he is. And now he’s thinking about opening shops further from our house. He already has like ten, he says in three states, and he’s making a lot of money and doesn’t know where to go next.”

“You should convince him of New York!”

“I know right? It would be perfect!”

They got quiet after that, just thinking about the other as they laid down on the bed again.

Nia’s hand went instinctively to her necklace.

And her eyes widened.

Her necklace!

Nia had had the thing ever since she was born, a black string with a blue pendant on the front. Mickey never explained why she had it, just said it had been with her since she was little. Sometimes he would call her blue skittle because of it. She rarely took it from her neck.

She sat up again in a flush.

“KIM! Do you have one of these too?” She took the necklace from inside her shirt and showed it to her twin.

Kim sat up and widened her eyes. “Oh my god, yes!” And she took a red pendant from inside her shirt. “We should have remembered this sooner!”

 

++++++++++++++

_Ian and Mickey were both snoring on the sofa peacefully. Times like this were precious and rare these days. The girls had been home for ten days, so sleeping was a difficult task for the recent fathers. As soon as the girls had fallen asleep in their bedroom, both had come to the couch and not even five minutes later, they were dozing off._

_The peacefulness didn’t last long however. Someone was ringing the bell. Mickey was going to commit a murder if Ian didn’t stop him._

_“Mmh.” Came from Ian._

_“Whoever this is, it’s getting fucking killed.”_

_Mickey got out of the sofa, where his husband stood with his eyes closed, trying to go back to his dreams. The raven haired open the door angrily, revealing Debbie on the other side. She smiled._

_“Hi Mickey.”_

_“Don’t fucking ‘hi’ me right now. Your brother and I fucking hate you.” The problem was that Mickey couldn’t really get angry at the female redhead. Of all the Gallaghers, he actually liked this one._

_Her expression turned into a preoccupied one. “Why? What did I do?” As she said that, they approached the living room, where Ian was snoring lightly again._

_“We finally had some time to sleep.” Mickey replied._

_“Oh shit, I’m sorry.”_

_“S’okay, you didn’t know.” The man approached his husband, shaking him lightly. “Yo man, it’s your sister.”_

_“Hmm…?”_

_“Your fucking sister’s here.”_

_Ian still stood with his eyes closed, even if he was finally coming to himself. “Fiona?”_

_“Not Fiona,” The Gallagher herself intervened. “Debs.”_

_Her brother finally opened his eyes confused, smiling when he finally spotted his sibling. “Oh, hi Debs, sorry.”_

_“It’s okay, it’s me who shouldn’t have woken you up. But I came for a good reason.”_

_“And why is that? We saw each other yesterday, at Fiona’s house.” Mickey wondered._

_“I know I know, that’s exactly why I’m here. C’mon, you two sit down.”_

_The couple eyed her suspiciously, but did as they were told, siting together on the couch as Debbie took the armchair._

_“Okay so, don’t think I didn’t notice yesterday that you haven’t taken the hospital bracelets out of your daughters’ wrists.”_

_Ian and Mick lowered their heads shamefully._

_“And I know it’s because otherwise you won’t know which one is which.”_

_“Yeah.” Ian admitted. The girls were copies of each other, and his husband and him were determined not to confuse them._

_“That’s totally fine, and it’s probably gonna keep happening, ‘cause they’re identical. But you can’t leave those things on their wrists forever, so I brought you these.” Debbie took something out of her purse and handed it to the males._

_Each of them accepted one of the strings, eyeing it suspiciously._

_“Those are necklaces, one with a blue pendant and another with a red pendant. You can use them to identify the girls. Right now they’re little so you can put them on their wrists, and then when they get bigger you ask each of them to use it as a necklace.”_

_“These look like fucking skittles.” Mickey replied._

_“Yeah, and your daughters look like permanent hospital patients.” Debs retorted._ Touché _._

_“This is actually a very good idea.” Ian accepted._

_“I know it is, I’m sure eventually you’ll thank me. Even you Mickey.” She shot the man a hard glare. “C’mon, you say they’re asleep, let’s put those on their wrists.” Debbie got up, demanding with her eyes for the men to follow her._

_They approached the girls’ room, where very faint snores echoed. Ian smiled at his peaceful daughters._

_“Alright, let me just grab a scissor to get those hospital things out of their wrists.” He said._

_“You’re not getting a fucking scissor near the girls Ian.”_

_“Mickey chill, it’s a scissor, not a fucking sword.” He handed the man the necklace he had been holding, and then opened one of the drawers in the wardrobe to get a scissor out._

_When he finally removed the bracelets, he motioned for Mickey once again to give him on of the pendants._

_“You checked which of them is each?” Mickey pointed at his babies as he gave Ian one of the necklaces._

_Ian sighted. “Yes Mick, I’m gonna put this,” he eyed the pendant “the blue necklace, on Nia, which is the one on the left alright? Kim, who is on the right, gets the red. Got it?”_

_Mickey rolled his eyes at his husband. “Alright. Just fucking do it.”_

_Ian made three twists in each necklace, to fit the babies’ wrists, and looked down at his work. His husband and Debs approached him._

_“So Nia gets to be blue skittle and Kim red skittle.”_

_The male Gallagher huffed at Mickey’s typically Mickey-ish conclusion. “Exactly.”_

_“As long as you two don’t forget which color you gave each one.”_

_“Trust me, we won’t.” Ian replied. “This is like the best fucking idea.”_

_**_

_Mickey never removed the necklace from Nia, adjusting it to her neck when she became big enough, even if her sister was no longer in the picture. She wouldn’t stop being blue skittle, even if miles apart._

_**_

_Likewise, Ian never removed the necklace from Kim, adjusting it to her neck when she became big enough, even if her sister was no longer in the picture. She wouldn’t stop being red skittle, even if miles apart._

+++++++++++++++

 

“I don’t understand how we stood like one week without understanding we are family.” Nia concluded.

“I know. But you keep your necklace inside your shirt, like me, it’s not like we could’ve guessed.”

“You’re right. Does pops call you skittle because of this?”

Kim smiled with her eyes. “Yes, sometimes, red skittle. But I think he avoids it. I don’t know why.”

“Dad calls me blue skittle all the time. Probably more than my name.” She frowned, thinking. “Maybe that’s why pops doesn’t do it much, because it was a dad thing?”

Kim frowned as well. “Probably.”

“This is so fucked up. And I’m sorry if I swear too much.”

“It’s alright.”

“I just wish I could meet pops. And I wish dad would see pops again, because I don’t understand why they got separated.”

“Me too. Dad sounds so different, and pops never had any boyfriends, he says he only ever loved dad.”

“Dad’s the same. Always saying he’s done with relationships, even when aunt Mandy says he should try to find someone, he just says he can’t. I know she just wants to see him happy.”

Kim didn’t reply to her sister after that. She was thinking, her frown more evident than ever.

“Nia?”

“Yes?”

“I think…” she stopped for a bit, smiling with mischief. “I think I just had the best of the bestest ideas!”

“What.”

“You wanna meet pops right?”

“Yes.”

“And I wanna meet dad.”

“Yes…”

“And we both think dad and pops should see each other again.”

“Yes. C’mon, where do you wanna go with that?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? We should switch places! I go to Chicago to meet dad, and you go to New York to meet pops!”

Nia’s eyes widened. That idea was impossible. “Kim, there’s no way we can do that. No way.”

“C’mon Nia! Just think about it! You get to meet pops and I dad, and eventually they will realize we are their other daughter -”

Nia was starting to follow Kim’s line of thinking. “- and they will have to meet to switch us!” She completed. “Oh my god.”

“I know!”

“It’s still impossible. There’s no way we can pretend to be each other!”

“Yes there is, I can perfectly imitate you.” She changed her pose, slumping her shoulders. “ _We don’t fucking look like each other._ ”

The long haired redhead laughed at her silly twin, punching her shoulder lightly. “That’s not me, stop!”

“Trust me, it is. And we still got like three weeks to learn everything. I think we can do this Nia.”

They sighted, looking at each other apprehensively.

It was Nia who started. “We’re really doing this aren’t we?”

“I think we are.”

They stared at each other for some more seconds.

Kim felt tears swelling in her eyes. “Oh my god, I’m gonna meet dad.”

Nia smiled as she released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. Tears emerged on her eyes as well. “I know, and I’m going to meet pops.”

The twins hugged each other fiercely, as the weight of what they were about to do went down on them.


	7. Becoming your sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again the chapter got so big I had to split it into two (how did plans for one chapter became three??), but they're both written, so the next chapter will probably be up very soon, i just got to revise it.
> 
> hope you enjoy this, their plan is coming together!

Nelly was sixteen, and had been coming to the camp ever since she was twelve. She loved it here, and it saddened her that she only had this year is and the next left to attend it.

Someone knocked on her dorm’s door and she got up from her bed where she had been reading a book to open it. Maybe her roommate had forgotten her key.

She opened the door, but it wasn’t said roommate on the other side. In front of her stood those two redheads that looked exactly alike but that apparently had never met. She had spoken with them once or twice, and they seemed like nice girls. Nelly was just fairly older than them, so they made friendships with different people around here.

“Hi! You’re Nelly right?” The short haired ginger asked.

“Indeed I am.” She smiled. “And you’re the not-twins!”

The girls eyed each other suspiciously, apparently aware of something Nelly wasn’t. She didn’t really care.

“Well, yes. I’m Nia, and this is Kim. We’re here cuz Heather said you’re really good with hair.”

Nelly blushed a little, flattered. The teen wanted to become a hairstylist and had been practising for that for a long time. She definitely had the hands for it. She had braided Heather’s hair the other day and the younger girl had loved it. “Well, I guess. But why?”

“We want to get the same haircut.” Short haired ginger replied. Kim, that was her name.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, my hair is short, and Nia’s isn’t. And I don’t have bangs, but Nia does. So we want to fix that. Can you do it for us, please?” Kim smiled at Nelly.

The older girl nodded, taking the information in. “So you saying you want to look the same.”

“Exactly.” Nia smiled brightly at her.

“Okay, okay.” She smiled at the gingers. She had no problem helping them. After all, “It’s not like I was doing anything, and it’s always practice. Your hair colour is amazing by the way.”

“Thanks.” They replied in unison. Not twins her ass.

“I advise you to wash your hair first, and I’ll go meet you in the locker room in like twenty. We should do it there. How does that sound?”

“That’s awesome. Thank you so much for doing this.”

They seemed really grateful for Nelly’s help.

“Alright, then let me just grab my scissors and brushes, and I’ll meet you there.” She smiled at the redheads.

“Okay. Thanks again.” And they left her room skipping.

**

_(two haircuts later)_

“This is so freaky!”

“I know. You look just like me Nia!”

“No, YOU look just like me!”

“I think you both look like each other.” Nelly completed.

After drying their hair with the locker rooms’ hairdryers, the final result was to be admired for. The sixteen-year-old had done an amazing job. Kim and Nia could definitely pass for each other after this.

“Nelly, this is amazing, thank you so much.”

“It was my pleasure. This is what I love doing. And you look just like twins.”

The girls smiled at each other. If only she knew.

However, they knew they couldn’t spread the news, otherwise word might reach the Misses, and then her fathers, who were the last people they wanted finding out they had met. Not at this moment.

**

At night, when both were sitting on the floor playing UNO, Nia commented on something deeply true.

“Thank god at least we both got our ears pierced.”

“Tell me about it. Now that would be a tough problem to solve.”

The girls giggled, imagining the pain they would have to put through otherwise. Then Kim widened her eyes.

“Oh my god! Patsie!”

“What?” Nia looked at her shocked sister, who in turn looked at her.

“How did I forget to tell you about Patsie?!”

“Who!”

“Our dog!”

“You guys have a dog?! That’s so awesome!”

“Yes, she’s a small poodle, full of curly golden fur. She usually wears ribbons in her ears.” She paused. “Wait, I have a photo of her!” She went to the nightstand, fussing around it until she got a photograph out. “Got it!”

Nia accepted the picture and smiled fondly at it. “She’s so cute.”

“And she’s gonna love you, I’m sure.” Kim sighted. “I miss her like crazy.”

Nia looked at her sister gloomily and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Patsie. And I’m sure you won’t be away from her for too long. I want us to spend our birthday together.” She raised her eyebrows at her twin, checking if she disagreed.

“Me too. We gotta make sure dad and pops have seen each other before that.”

“Exactly. And in the meantime, don’t worry.” Nia smiled. “I’ll tell Patsie I’m not actually you and that you are alright.”

**

“Lesson number two: My house.”

Nia sat at their dorm’s desk drawing a draft of her house’s plan. Kim stood by her side, listening intently. Lesson number one had been her own house, which now Nia knew roughly.

“So, this is the entrance, right into the living room…”

They had a long path ahead of them if they wanted this to work out, and time would pass too quickly if they got distracted.

**

“So, I’ve told you about all our uncles and aunts. But we also got cousins. Uncle Carl and aunt Bonnie have Jake -”

“Aunt Bonnie?”

“Uh? Oh yes, she’s uncle Carl’s girlfriend, but they live together and have been together for very long, so I call her aunt as well. And Jake is five.”

Nia nodded in agreement.

“And then aunt Fiona has Lily.”

“Who’s the dad?”

“Jimmy. He used to be aunt Fiona’s boyfriend, and then they broke up but he came to NY to find her. But then left again. He didn’t know she was gonna have a baby. But then he returned for good and he loved his baby and now they’re together.” Kim smiled. “I didn’t like him at first but now I guess he’s okay. And Lily is four now.”

Nia nodded, taking the information in. “Any more babies?”

“No, we’re the oldest. Uncle Liam has a new girlfriend, but he’s still young. And I know aunt Debbie wants babies as well but she says she wants it with the right father. And uncle Lip doesn’t even have time to have girlfriends.” She laughed. “I almost never get to see him.”

“But he’s cool?”

Kim shrugged. “I guess. He’s different than the others. Always thinking about his work. Pops thinks about his work a lot too, but his job is about people anyway.”

“Okay. Don’t you got photos of them?”

“Yes, I do, I have this one with the whole family!” She went to the wardrobe and pulled something out of her suitcase. “We took it last winter.”

Nia eyed the frame her sister handed her. She analysed all the people in there. All those aunts and uncles she never got to meet. She belonged there as well, and she hoped one day she would make part of a photo like that one. “Aunt Debbie looks like pops.”

“Yes, she’s the only redhead like us. You can keep that. Too study it, you know? You gotta take it back home with you anyway.”

She eyed the photo, silently thanking her twin for the offer. “Thanks. That’s awesome.” She went to place it on the desk. “I can show you the picture I have as well.” She rummaged through her duffel bag and got a folded paper out. “I know it’s not framed like yours, I just asked auntie to print it before I came here. Aunt Mandy, I mean.” She unfolded the photo and handed it to Kim.

Said girl looked at Mandy’s bright blue eyes, smiling. The photo was a selfie of Nia and their dad and aunt, all with those bright blue eyes shining. It could make Kim sad that she wasn’t there as well, but it didn’t. Instead it just fuelled her because now she wanted one with the four of them. “They look just like each other.”

“I know. It’s freaky sometimes.”

“We got dad’s eyes.”

“That we do. And pops’ hair.”

They smiled at each other.

“I can’t believe I’m going to meet them.” Kim stated.

“Trust me, me neither. It all still seems so impossible!”

The twins giggled together as they shared thoughts on their family.

**

They sat on the bus together, looking behind at the camp where they had met.

Just like that, the five weeks had gone by, and it was time to return home. And to start what all the past weeks of planning had been for.

“Best summer ever.” Nia concluded.

“I know. I have a sister now. And a dad. And I’ve been to Cali!” Kim breathed out.

“Same here.”

They looked at each other and started laughing. This was all so surreal. The one thing they knew is that they wanted to be back at the camp next year, no matter how things had meanwhile gone at their homes.

The twins fished out their phones to call their fathers before the trip started. They didn’t know when they would get the chance to do so again to be honest, and they had to settle every detail about the arrival, so their plan wouldn’t go south.

 

Kim smiled when her pops picked up.

“Hi papa!”

“Kim! Oh it’s so nice to hear your voice! How are you?”

“I’m great pops! Best summer ever! Sorry for not calling, I just got the phone back.”

“It’s not your fault. And I called the supervisors all the time to know how you were.”

Kim’s eyes widened apprehensively. What if they had mentioned Nia to her father? “You did? And what did they tell you?”

“That you were fine and having fun.”

Kim let out the breath she had been holding.

“They said you made friends, and got very close with this other girl.”

She nodded to herself. “That must be my roommate. She was awesome.” Dodged bullet there. Nia smiled at her side.

Ian smiled on the other side of the phone. Damn he missed his daughter. He had never been this much time apart from his child. Not this one. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. So where are you now?”

“The bus is gonna leave now.”

“That’s very good to hear. You’re coming home! You got your plane ticket with you?”

“Yes. All in the folder you gave me.” Folder that was in fact in Nia’s possession at the moment. Not that her dad needed to know that.

“That’s good. I’ll be at the airport to meet you. Uncle Carl and aunt Fiona are coming with me because apparently Jake and Lily miss you like crazy.”

“That’s awesome. Then I guess I’ll see you there?”

“Of course. Now go and enjoy the time you still got left. And say hi to that new friend of yours for me! Tell her maybe one day we might invite her to New York.”

“You serious pops?”

“Of course. Anything for you Kimmy, if it makes you happy.”

“Maybe I’ll tell her.”

“You should.” Ian replied on the other side of the phone.

“Well, I gotta go. Sorry pops.” She sighted. “Bye bye!”

“Bye sweetie, see you in a few hours.”

She hung up the phone, smiling at her twin. “I guess pops says hi to you!”

Nia frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Miss Martha told him I had made a great friend here.”

“He knows about me?” The Milkovich named asked apprehensively.

“Relax, of course not. He just knows I really like her, and said that maybe one day she could go spend some days in New York!”

Nia huffed. “That’s so funny, like, cuz I actually AM going??”

“Exactly. If only he knew… By the way, uncle Carl and aunt Fiona will be at the airport with Jake and Lily as well.”

“You’re serious? I’m gonna meet part of the family already! That’s awesome!”

They felt the bus starting. They were about to leave the camp.

“Yes. Is aunt Mandy going to be at the airport?”

Nia nodded. “I don’t know. But I can check that now.” And she fished out her phone, pressing the quick call number to her dad.

“K.” Kim agreed.

On the other side of the phone, someone picked up. “Hello? Nia?”

“Dad!”

She heard a sight on the other side, and Mickey’s tone shifting from nervous to relaxed. “Hey baby. How are you?”

“I’m great! We’re leaving the camp now.”

“That’s very fucking good. I called the other day to see how you were, but that Miss Magda never let you use the fucking phone.”

Nia laughed loudly. Typical dad. “It’s Miss Martha daddy!”

“I don’t care. It’s like we live in the fucking last century! Don’t you agree Mands?”

She heard a very faint “yes” coming from the phone. They were probably both at home, waiting to go to bed. In Chicago (and NY as well) it was night at the moment. Nia and Kim would sleep through their flights and by morning would be at home. Except they weren’t really going home.

“But it doesn’t matter. She said you were alright and had made good friends. That true?”

“Yes, it is, I want come back next year!”

“We’ll think about that when you actually come home. Got you things with you?”

“Yes, all is packed.”

“Don’t fucking lose your plane ticket, that shit was expensive.”

From afar, Nia heard her aunt exasperating. “For fucks sake Mickey, stop swearing around your daughter!”

“I do whatever I want.” He blurted out in return.

Nia smiled on the other side of the phone. She missed her dad and aunt. “I won’t lose it, don’t worry.” She knew that was too important, forgetting the plane ticket would cost the twins one month of planning. “And I gotta go. Is auntie going to be with you to pick me up?”

“Yes, of course. She would kill me if I left her here.”

“Nice.”

“So you sure you alright?”

Nia rolled her eyes at her dad. In the end, he was a softie and she knew it. “Yes dad. Don’t worry dad. Bye dad.”

“Okay I’ll let you go. Have a nice flight baby. Bye.”

“Bye.” She hung up, sighting. She didn’t know when she would speak with her old man again. Oh well, it all was for the greater good.

Kim was looking at her, smiling hopefully. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. I’m just gonna miss dad. And aunt Mandy will be with him tomorrow. Just take care of dad for me, okay?”

Kim squeezed her sister’s hand. “Don’t worry, I will.” Then she extended her other arm towards Nia, the one which was holding her cellphone. “And I guess it’s time to switch.”

Nia nodded. “Yes, yes. Take mine.”

They girls started pocketing the other’s phone, smiling nervously at each other.

“Wait.” Nia remembered something.

“What?”

“We should take a photo of each other.”

“But we already have one.”

“Yeah, but now we look the same, so it’s gonna be cool to have both photos. And I don’t wanna forget you while I’m in New York.”

“Awn.” That touched Kim. “I get what you mean. Come closer then.”

The girls positioned themselves with their heads touching, and beamed at the two smartphone cameras that stared at them through the selfie mode, taking the photograph.

Nia looked down at her sister’s phone, analysing the result. “You’re slowly becoming me.” She stated.

“And so are you.”

Kim was already wearing Nia’s clothes and vice-versa. The plan was about to be started and it amazed them, but it also frightened them. They just wanted to meet their fathers and make them happy in the meantime. But everything could go wrong and they knew it.

They held hands, reassuring each other, as the bus full of girls waving at Miss Martha and Miss Brigitte left Napa’s Summer Camp for Girls behind.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, they're leaving, they're about to meet Ian and Mickey! How will that turn out?!  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter, it was loads of fun writing.
> 
> Now for what i really wanna talk about, i just thought i should put it on the ending notes: GALLAVICH IS BACK!
> 
> I know the writers will fuck it up as soon as they can, meaning right on the next episode, but it was still so pleasurable, so satisfying seeing those on the screen together again, and kissing four times! i didnt even realize how much i had missed it until i saw the shitty quality taped video a fan posted on instagram minutes after it aired (i dont live in the usa) of gallavich meeting under the bleachers, and the sexual tension between them. and shortly after, kissing!  
> i dont watch shameless anymore, nor do I plan on restarting, i've just stayed for their scenes and the fanfiction, cuz they're all that gives me hope and inspiration to writes fics myself. therefore, seeing my babies in love again was awesome, even if it was just fan service and it will be over a quickly as it started, with mickey once again being portrayed as the villain we know he isnt. in the end, seeing their attraction onscreen is always amazing. noel and cam's chemistry is soo superior to whatever boyfriends they try to put ian with. it's just different, doesnt feel forced at all and all you can do is root for them.
> 
> tell me what you thought about it as well on the comments, and once again i hoped you liked this chapter, the next one will be up very soon
> 
> ^^


	8. Oh no, that's him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoy the chapter, i really took a long time revising it and making sure it conveys the emotion that the girls are feeling.
> 
> hope you like it!

The twins had tears in their eyes as they took each other in. Surrounding them was the cacophony of the airport, where lots of girls were saying their goodbyes to the friends they would only get to see a year from now. Nia and Kim knew that that was probably not going to be the case with them, but they were still going to stay away from each other for a while and that utterly sucked. After finding out that you have a twin sister and spending five weeks with her wishing to have had her your whole ten years because she is just like you and you love her, it was hard to let go.

“This is it, right?” Nia asked.

“It is. Only one more switch and then you are me and I am you.”

Nia nodded as she put her hands behind her neck, removing her necklace. In front of her, Kim did the same, and they traded the pendants.

Kim looked down at the blue stone that now framed her upper chest, as her twin analysed the red one. “Who knew my necklace had a matching one this whole time.” She commented.

“Who knew I had a matching twin this whole time!” Nia completed. She gave her sister a once over. “Now THIS is freaky! You are me. Completely. You will fool everybody. Even I am confused. Are you really Kim?”

Said girl laughed, punching Nia’s arm softly. “Stop it! That’s a good thing, we gotta fool our family. And don’t worry, you look too much like me as well.”

 _“Flight to New York 472 departing in twenty minutes! Twenty minutes!”_ The speakers echoed throughout the airport.

Nia widened her eyes, taking in what that information meant. She had to leave. She had to leave Kim behind, off to meet her pops for the first time. _Shit_. The butterflies in her stomach were more violent than ever.

Kim put her arms around her, hugging her tightly. “I’m gonna miss you so much!”

“Me too.”

“And don’t worry, it’s as pops told me, the family will be there at the airport waiting for you. We can do this!”

Nia nodded, taking heavy breaths. “Say hi to dad for me. And don’t forget to call! And send emails!”

“Yes, yes to all that, but c’mon, I don’t want you missing the plane! Go!” Kim pushed her sister towards where she should go. Truth was, she was just as nervous as Nia, she was just trying to hide it, for her own sake.

The twins hugged fiercely one last time and then parted ways, Nia grabbing Kim’s luggage and running across the airport to the gate that she should pursue. She handed Kim’s ticket to the airport worker, and looked one last time behind her, at the far away dot that she knew was her sister. _See you soon Kim._

 

Kim waved at her sister when she turned back, before going off to her plane, destination New York. Tears welled in her eyes. It worked. Nia got through the gate, and now so would she. Off to meet her dad in Chicago. That was really happening. _See you soon Nia._

_“Flight to Chicago 316 departing in sixty minutes! Please board the plane.”_

She clutched her sister’s duffel bag, readying herself. This was it.

 

 

 

_*************************************_

_Two flights and several hours later_

_*************************************_

 

 

 

Kim followed all the others passengers through the gate at the airport. She had just left her plane, and she was in Chicago. Actual Chicago! And on top of that, she was going to meet someone she had waited for her whole life. It was unreal.

She bid farewell to the flight assistant that had been supervising her, who then went back inside the gate, and grabbed Nia’s phone to text her sister quickly.

_Just got here. Nothing went wrong. Gonna find dad now. Cant believe it. Good luck 2 u 2_

Then she pocketed the phone, taking a deep breath before the great moment.

She eyed the crowd of people waiting for those who had come in her flight. Oh god. Her dad was probably somewhere in there too, she just needed to find him.

She pushed through the people hugging each other, trying to see above them, and failing. Why was she so small?! It was like nobody could see her.

“Nia!”

_What?_

And then again. “Nia!”

That was her sister’s name. A male voice was calling out for her sister’s name.

“Oh no, that’s him.” She murmured to herself.

She followed the direction of the sound, still trying to see through the adults.

“Nia!”

She turned her head to follow the sound, and then…

 

 

She widened her eyes.

There he was.

 

_*************************************_

 

Nia grabbed her suitcase from the cupboard of the plane and exited behind the other passengers. There were butterflies all over her stomach as she slowly made her way to the gate that would get her inside the airport and a bit closer to her family.

She was in New York! Actual NY, with Times Square and the Statue of Liberty! And on top of it, she was going to meet her papa! It all seemed so surreal.

She grabbed her phone, turning it on. She noticed she already had a text from her sister, saying that she had arrived in Chicago a few hours ago, and was off to meet dad. She hadn’t said anything since, so Nia prayed for everything to be alright.

She sent Kim a reply.

_Just left my plane 2. Cant wait to c ny. Hope u ok with dad. Gonna look 4 pops now. Talk 2 u later_

Nia grabbed her suitcase’s handle tighter as she firmly made her way to the lobby where people were awaiting the passengers. When she finally reached it, she had to stop and take a deep breath.

“Okay Nia, don’t freak out, don’t be weird, or they’ll see something’s off. Just calm down.” She whispered to herself as once again she breathed in and out. “Fuck shit fuck fuck fucking.”

Scientists were indeed right when they said saying swears helped calming down.

She moved forward, trying to look for a redhead.

She didn’t go very far, as suddenly “KIM!” echoed through the crowd, and two toddlers, a boy and a girl, hugged each of her legs.

Nia laughed happily. _These must be Jake and Lily._

These were her cousins! The cousins she had never got the chance to meet, right in front of her. And they were both so endearing!

“Hey guys!” She crouched down to take a look at her cousins, hugging them tightly.

Lily had jet black hair and dark eyes just like her mother had according to the pictures. Jake’s eyes in the other hand were hazel, and he was very blond like his mother. They were both too cute for words. And smelled like baby. _My little cousins._

She got up, taking Lily in her hand and motioning for Jake to go ahead. “C’mon Jake, lead the way.”

The little boy seemed so proud of himself as he slithered through the people, directing them towards her pops, her family, that the redhead couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.

In fact, she was paying so much attention to her newfound cousins that she didn’t notice him until he was only a few meters away.

 

 

Her pops, the man himself, was standing in front of her, smiling widely.

“Oh no, that’s him.”

 

_*************************************_

 

Dark hair, careless demeanour, tattooed hands, a shirt with the sleeves off. And then aunt Mandy at his side, looking a lot like him. She was so beautiful, with her long black hair and big blue eyes, like hers or her twin’s.

Tears welled up Kim’s her eyes. The people from those photos were real after all. The dad she had never met was right in front of her. And she got to touch and know him now.

“DAD!” She squealed, running towards her newfound family.

 

Mickey followed the sound of the squeal, smiling widely when her saw his daughter running towards him. She seemed very excited to see him. He crouched to be on eye level with her, opening his arms.

“Hi baby!”

 

Kim let the duffel bag fall to the floor as she too opened her arms and engulfed her dad inside them, hugging him very tightly.

It was like this part of her she had never discovered had surfaced.

 

_*************************************_

“Papa.” Nia murmured to herself, bedazzled. He was real. He was there, right in her line of sight, with hair the same colour as hers, taller than dad, happy grin on his lips.

So what if he didn’t know she was actually Nia. He was happy to see his daughter, and after all she was one of those too, so it didn’t matter. She let go of Lily’s hand to run towards Ian, towards this man she had wondered if existed her whole life.

The suitcase made a terribly loud noise as she dashed through those last few meters, pulling it behind her with her hand, until she let it just fall to the ground as she opened her arms to hug her pops, who meanwhile had lowered himself to meet her.

“PAPA!” She squealed, as he lifted her up like it cost him no effort, embracing her tightly.

It felt like home.

 

_*************************************_

 

“Dad, it’s you!” Kim mumbled against her dad’s shoulder. A lone tear fell from her eye.

“It is me.” He laughed.

She stepped back, taking in the man if front of her. Damn, those really were her eyes.

He eyed her strangely. “Why are you crying Nia?”

“It’s nothing.” She shrugged, trying to conceal her emotions, while also looking up at her aunt and smiling. “I just missed you so much.”

“Well can I get a hug too?” Mandy asked.

“Of course!” Kim engulfed her aunt’s torso in her arms, as Mandy ruffled her hair and kissed her head. “Missed you kid.”

“Me too aunt Mandy, you don’t even know.” She hugged her tighter for a second before pulling away.

“What the hell happened to your hair?” Her dad questioned.

“Yeah, I was wondering about that too.” Mandy added.

Kim looked apprehensively at them. “A girl at camp cut it. Why, you don’t like it?”

Mickey smiled sweetly at her, ruffling said hair. “ ’Course we do kid. Looks good on you.”

“I thought you loved your long hair?” Her aunt intervened.

Kim shrugged. Nia’s hair did use to be pretty long, but she had to play it off. “I guess I got tired of it.” The excuse seemed to be enough for her aunt for the moment, since she didn’t pry any further.

The redhead once again looked at the people in front of her. Another tear escaped her eyes.

“Hey, don’t cry Nia. Come here.”

She laughed a little. “Sorry dad.” And she hugged him again. “I’m just so happy to see you. Like, so much!”

Her dad was real. The man pops seldom talked about, the other father from that one lone picture. He was real. She had a dad and a twin sister and a new aunt.

She had a family, not just a papa, and she was ready to get to know this person that had been part of it the whole time.

_*************************************_

 

Ian peppered his daughter’s head with kisses. “Kimmy, I missed you!”

“I missed you too papa. So much so much!” The girl almost crushed Ian with her arms, her head pressed to his shoulder.

They pulled apart a little. “How’s my girl?”

 

If only he knew. “I’m awesome, I’m amazing, I’m so happy to be here!” Nia put her hands on his face, trying to commit to memory all his features. “It’s like I haven’t seen you my whole life.”

Ian laughed warmly. “Jesus, that’s what I call longing. Well it’s like I haven’t seen you my whole life too.” He put his daughter on the ground and then realized the difference in her. “You didn’t have bangs when you left.”

“Nop. Does it look bad?”

Her pops smiled down at her. “Not at all, you’ll always be beautiful.” He replied fondly.

Nia replied with a toothy smile, proud of herself.

“Hey don’t forget us!” A female voice reached her ears, making Nia look behind her pops.

There stood two women, one with curly black hair and the other with blonde, straight hair. They were both so pretty. With an arm around the latter stood a man, around the same height as her dad, with dishevelled brown hair. She knew them from the photos. Fiona, Bonnie and Carl. Her aunts and uncle. Meanwhile, Lily and Jake ran after each other around them, clearly no longer worried with their cousin’s absence now that she had seen them.

Once again, a typically Ian-ish smile (something only later she would be able to pinpoint) erupted on her face, as she ran towards her family and tried to hug all three adults at once.

“Chill Kim, we missed you too.” Carl grinned at her.

“Shush uncle, let me hug you all.” Nia said, her face buried under Fiona’s torso.

 

All the adults laughed at her clinginess. They didn’t expect this much longing from Kim, but apparently she had really missed her relatives.

“We all missed you too kid.” Aunt Bonnie informed her. Then she frowned. “Are you smelling us?”

“Yes.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m making a memory.”

“The hell?” Her uncle wondered.

“Because this way I can’t forget you. And then one day I’ll smell something with your scent and it will remind me of you. So yes, I’m making a memory.”

Carl shrugged. “Well, if it makes you happy kiddo.”

However, they couldn’t stay there all day in order for Kim to take brain notes of her family’s scent.

 

“Kimmy, c’mon, we should head home. Everybody’s waiting for us!” Her pops intervened after a while.

“Waiting for us? Who? And where?” Nia asked back, as she let go of the three adults she could barely contain in her arms.

“At our house of course. All the family is there cuz they all miss you like crazy!” Ian grabbed his daughter’s suitcase as he explained her the plans for the day. “That sounds good to you?”

“Of course! I can’t wait to see the rest of my family!” Nia beamed at the idea.

And they left Newark’s airport, as the girl tried to contain the bouncing excitement that filled her insides but that she couldn’t, by any means, let out. Not before getting to know this man she had been trying to meet her whole life. Definitely not before that.

Better start using their time together properly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this were a play, i guess we could call this end of act one.  
> they have met mickey and ian! now it's going to be all about getting to know the new father, while trying to hide the fact that they are not who everybody thinks. will they be able to do it?  
> also we may start getting more pov from ian and mickey themselves, now that the fic has introduced them for good. im just not sure when, but time will tell.
> 
> also there's gallavich tonight, lets hope its not shit! 
> 
> thank you so much for reading this, youre all amazing ^^

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, but tell me what you thought!
> 
> kudos and comments are my life!  
> <3<3
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr:  
> godisafridge.tumblr.com


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